Togoland

Togoland was a West African protectorate of the German Empire which existed from 5 July 1884 to 26 August 1914, with Lome serving as its capital. In February 1884, the chiefs of Aneho were kidnapped by German soldiers and forced to sign a treaty of protection, and, on 5 July 1884, German imperial consul Gustav Nachtigal signed a treaty with King Mlapa III formally establishing a protectorate over all of present-day Togo and parts of Ghana. By 1890, Germany had 12 officials in the colony, and the Germans built roads, bridges, and three rail lines in the country. In 1894, the native West African Polizeitruppe was expanded to 144 members, suppressing anti-German dissenters. By 1913, the capital of Lome had 7,042 natives and 194 Germans, and it was said to be the "prettiest town in West Africa" by the start of World War I. In the Togoland Campaign of August 1914, French and British forces overran the colony, and, in 1916, they partitioned the colony into French Togo and British Ghana.